Reading the Back of Sam Mele’s ’52 Topps Card
Lots of good stuff is in the text of the card of the future Twins manager. Also, check out his tattoo.
Active Duty in ’52 Topps
Topps thought enough of some prospects to include them in the 1952 checklist despite military service keeping them from playing.
Hall of Pretty Good Candidate Sid Gordon
He may have been the hardest hitting ballplayer not named Gil Hodges in the five years leading up to his 1952 Topps baseball card.
The Million Dollar Home Run
A radio station offered a million bucks to a listener if they correctly predicted a very unlikely hit.
Kid Pitcher Outhits “The Kid”
Carl Scheib was pitching in the majors at an age when many teens are learning to drive. Ted Williams couldn’t keep up.
Cookie Lavagetto Always Had a Fan Club
In addition to the admiration of teammates and coworkers everywhere he went, Cookie literally had a fan club.
PSA Mail Day
I mailed all my raw plastic cards to PSA. Today they came back as plastic cards encased in more plastic.
Jim Abbott at His Finest
The famously one-handed pitcher threw a no-hitter in 1993. So of course, we’re going to talk about his batting skills instead.